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Thursday, August 7, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Do you want to be the best 8 year old basketball player!
Do you want to be the best 8 year old basketball player, or do you want to be the best @ 18?
Some athletes and parents need to realize that maybe specialization at an early age is not the key!
There are many possibilities that can be foreseen happening, from injury due to repeated trauma from chronic injuries, inability to adapt to continually evolving sport, burn out from no mental break. And I am sure there are many more out there.
But what we need to understand when we are trying to teach long term athletic development at a young age, that instead of trying to build the best soccer player @ 8 or the best basketball player @ 10 that we need to develop the best “ATHLETE”.
By developing the best Athlete @ 8 and 10 we are teaching them the tools they will need to evolve as an athlete as they grow in their sports.
To be the best Athlete they will need the tools so they can adapt to the imposed demands that are placed on them wither that be physical, psychological, or emotional!
Some athletes and parents need to realize that maybe specialization at an early age is not the key!
There are many possibilities that can be foreseen happening, from injury due to repeated trauma from chronic injuries, inability to adapt to continually evolving sport, burn out from no mental break. And I am sure there are many more out there.
But what we need to understand when we are trying to teach long term athletic development at a young age, that instead of trying to build the best soccer player @ 8 or the best basketball player @ 10 that we need to develop the best “ATHLETE”.
By developing the best Athlete @ 8 and 10 we are teaching them the tools they will need to evolve as an athlete as they grow in their sports.
To be the best Athlete they will need the tools so they can adapt to the imposed demands that are placed on them wither that be physical, psychological, or emotional!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Patience is a Virtue!
Wow, is this becoming ever more important in the world of athletics!
Everyone is looking for the quick fix, to get faster, stronger, jump higher!
They buy tons of different toys, or illegal substances thinking it will be the next thing that will make them super fast, or jump super high.
But what most tend to forget is that "All good things come to those that wait!” And by wait I mean work hard over time.
Most people nowadays think a long time to get something is 5 mins. If “X” does not happen in the next 5 mins then I am going to go someplace else. While this is a little exaggeration with working out the thought processes is still there. And then when they don’t look like the D1 or professional athlete they are trying to look like then they think it does not work!
And they would be right the short-term HUGE transformation does not work unless you are in a movie!!
So take your time with change! Monitor your training (with some type of log/or journal), and notice in your log what works and what does not so next year when you are gearing up again you can change the training to bring about a better, or different response!
Here is the equation I have seen work:
HARD WORK X TIME(meaning yearS) = Opportunities for SUCCESS!!
To all keep up the HARD WORK!!!
Everyone is looking for the quick fix, to get faster, stronger, jump higher!
They buy tons of different toys, or illegal substances thinking it will be the next thing that will make them super fast, or jump super high.
But what most tend to forget is that "All good things come to those that wait!” And by wait I mean work hard over time.
Most people nowadays think a long time to get something is 5 mins. If “X” does not happen in the next 5 mins then I am going to go someplace else. While this is a little exaggeration with working out the thought processes is still there. And then when they don’t look like the D1 or professional athlete they are trying to look like then they think it does not work!
And they would be right the short-term HUGE transformation does not work unless you are in a movie!!
So take your time with change! Monitor your training (with some type of log/or journal), and notice in your log what works and what does not so next year when you are gearing up again you can change the training to bring about a better, or different response!
Here is the equation I have seen work:
HARD WORK X TIME(meaning yearS) = Opportunities for SUCCESS!!
To all keep up the HARD WORK!!!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Are we there yet?
This might seem like a funny question, but this seems to be how athletes look at their advances in sport. How long till I get a xx height with my vertical jump, how long till I take off xx seconds from my times?
What we have to get the athletes to understand is that their evolution to reach their desired goals is not a point A to point B drive. It is going to be an A to B drive with about a 100 stops between, and a few reverses in there too!
The way to get to the goals that the athletes set is like everything else out there, there will be days where you make leaps, and bounds (and hopefully all forward), but there will be days where the advances will move at a snails pace too. But what the athletes need to understand is that the snail pace days are just as important to reaching the end goals. At times the advances that come on those days will provide results that will bring substantial gains to the overall end goals.
So enjoy the big gains, as well as the little ones!
And as always, ENJOY THE RIDE, AND DON'T FORGET TO SMELL THE ROSES!
Because this can provide a fresh, renewed look at things!!!
What we have to get the athletes to understand is that their evolution to reach their desired goals is not a point A to point B drive. It is going to be an A to B drive with about a 100 stops between, and a few reverses in there too!
The way to get to the goals that the athletes set is like everything else out there, there will be days where you make leaps, and bounds (and hopefully all forward), but there will be days where the advances will move at a snails pace too. But what the athletes need to understand is that the snail pace days are just as important to reaching the end goals. At times the advances that come on those days will provide results that will bring substantial gains to the overall end goals.
So enjoy the big gains, as well as the little ones!
And as always, ENJOY THE RIDE, AND DON'T FORGET TO SMELL THE ROSES!
Because this can provide a fresh, renewed look at things!!!
Monday, January 7, 2008
Sorry I have been GONE!
I hope you all had a good holiday time with friends and family.
I got to see friends, and family I had not seen in a while, and that was great.
We shared time talking about family and work!
Well just wanted you to know that I am back in business with the Blog!
So check back in for the new thoughts, and info!
AS ALWAYS PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS TO SPUR ON FURTHER THOUGHTS AND CONVERSATIONS!
I got to see friends, and family I had not seen in a while, and that was great.
We shared time talking about family and work!
Well just wanted you to know that I am back in business with the Blog!
So check back in for the new thoughts, and info!
AS ALWAYS PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS TO SPUR ON FURTHER THOUGHTS AND CONVERSATIONS!
Friday, December 7, 2007
Lifting??
Lately I have been talking with different athletes about weight lifting. And it seems that many high school lifting programs are designed for football players. So that means, the tennis teams, the volleyball teams, etc..., are lifting like football players.
WHAT???
Most female athletes don't want to look like football players! Or at least thats what they tell me!
So why not spend some time and design lifting programs that are more beneficial to each athletic team? Yeah it takes a little extra time and thought, but I think the athletes are worth it, and deserve the best opportunity to reach their athletic potential. WE (athletes, and coachs) might have to go a little out of our comfort-zone of "standard" lifts to attain these goals, but at that point it is good for both the athletes and the coachs. We both can learn from this type of "Out of the Box" thinking.
Now don't get me wrong I think there will be plenty of cross over exercises from sport to sport, but we should design programs that are more in tune with the athletic goals of each individual team.
I don't need my tennis players to look like football players! The tennis player will never have to push around a 250lb offensive lineman on the court!!!
WHAT???
Most female athletes don't want to look like football players! Or at least thats what they tell me!
So why not spend some time and design lifting programs that are more beneficial to each athletic team? Yeah it takes a little extra time and thought, but I think the athletes are worth it, and deserve the best opportunity to reach their athletic potential. WE (athletes, and coachs) might have to go a little out of our comfort-zone of "standard" lifts to attain these goals, but at that point it is good for both the athletes and the coachs. We both can learn from this type of "Out of the Box" thinking.
Now don't get me wrong I think there will be plenty of cross over exercises from sport to sport, but we should design programs that are more in tune with the athletic goals of each individual team.
I don't need my tennis players to look like football players! The tennis player will never have to push around a 250lb offensive lineman on the court!!!
Monday, November 26, 2007
Mistakes?
I think we all make them?
And trust me I have made my share plus some of yours.
But at times I think we tend to think of mistakes as negative things.
And yes that is true if nothing is taken away from those mistakes. If nothing is learned from our mistakes and we continue to make the same ones then for sure a mistake would become a negative!
But I learned a phase from a good friend Mike Bolander, "Mistakes are just areas of Opportunity."
Wow, when he told me that a huge light went off in my head. I started taking a different view point on when I made mistakes. I no longer took it as such a negative thing, I took it as a challenge to myself of where I could make improvements in the ways I was doing things!
And trust me I am a guy who likes to learn things!!! Because like I said I have made plenty of mistakes!
Just ask my friends, and family I have had plenty "areas of opportunity" for myself!!! And I am sure many more in the future, but I also know that I will be a better athletic trainer, performance coach, dad, husband, friend for making those mistakes!
So the next time you think you have made a mistake with something or someone, step back and say, "How can I make this an area of opportunity in which I can become better?"
And trust me I have made my share plus some of yours.
But at times I think we tend to think of mistakes as negative things.
And yes that is true if nothing is taken away from those mistakes. If nothing is learned from our mistakes and we continue to make the same ones then for sure a mistake would become a negative!
But I learned a phase from a good friend Mike Bolander, "Mistakes are just areas of Opportunity."
Wow, when he told me that a huge light went off in my head. I started taking a different view point on when I made mistakes. I no longer took it as such a negative thing, I took it as a challenge to myself of where I could make improvements in the ways I was doing things!
And trust me I am a guy who likes to learn things!!! Because like I said I have made plenty of mistakes!
Just ask my friends, and family I have had plenty "areas of opportunity" for myself!!! And I am sure many more in the future, but I also know that I will be a better athletic trainer, performance coach, dad, husband, friend for making those mistakes!
So the next time you think you have made a mistake with something or someone, step back and say, "How can I make this an area of opportunity in which I can become better?"
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Goals and the Journey
A good friend brought up a good point to me.
We need to keep the ultimate goal in mind when setting out to develop athletes.
If we do not have goals then we will have no direction in which to design a program.
And with no direction to design a program we are more likely just to provide workouts that have no purpose other than to work them out, and for a majority of athletes that will not get it done!
Once the goal has been set then it is time to begin the journey towards long term athletic development. The journey will be the important part in the long run. The journey is where the athlete makes all their deposits in the "Athletic Performance Bank" to draw on in the future. The journey will include all the practices(both with the teams, and by yourself), working out in the gym, eating correctly, recovery, etc...
While on our journey there will be many road blocks, and distractions, and that is where keeping our eyes on the ultimate goal is very important. Keeping our eyes on the ultimate goal will get us through many of those road blocks, and distractions.
But don't forget to "stop and smell the flowers", at times this can give us a renewed look, and also helps refresh our drive to help our athletes reach their ultimate goal.
And in the end don't forget to "Enjoy the Ride", because if we are not able to enjoy the ride, then is it truly worth it in the end?
We need to keep the ultimate goal in mind when setting out to develop athletes.
If we do not have goals then we will have no direction in which to design a program.
And with no direction to design a program we are more likely just to provide workouts that have no purpose other than to work them out, and for a majority of athletes that will not get it done!
Once the goal has been set then it is time to begin the journey towards long term athletic development. The journey will be the important part in the long run. The journey is where the athlete makes all their deposits in the "Athletic Performance Bank" to draw on in the future. The journey will include all the practices(both with the teams, and by yourself), working out in the gym, eating correctly, recovery, etc...
While on our journey there will be many road blocks, and distractions, and that is where keeping our eyes on the ultimate goal is very important. Keeping our eyes on the ultimate goal will get us through many of those road blocks, and distractions.
But don't forget to "stop and smell the flowers", at times this can give us a renewed look, and also helps refresh our drive to help our athletes reach their ultimate goal.
And in the end don't forget to "Enjoy the Ride", because if we are not able to enjoy the ride, then is it truly worth it in the end?
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Age vs. Training Specifics?
The more I read about the developmental process and training, the more I learn I have so much more to learn and understand. In an article by Istvan Balyi called "Long Term Athlete Development:Trainability in Childhood and Adolescence windows of opportunity, optimal trainability" he discusses the 6 stage model of Late Specialization Sports. He discusses that the first opportunity to introduce in speed training for boys is ages 7-9, and for girls is from age 6-8. The speed that should be worked on at this time is Quickness and Agility less than 5 seconds.
So this makes me question if kids have speed training at those ages (6-9), then are they going to be more advanced with training and competition at later stages of training and competition? I would tend to believe that this will give those athletes that had organized training at ages 6-9 would have an advantage at that time. But as they mature into their later stage athletic bodies will they maintain those results from the early stages of training? Or by performing these specific athletic activities (ie.. speed training) that is providing an accumulative effect that will make them complete athletes when hitting the elite levels of competition?
So this makes me question if kids have speed training at those ages (6-9), then are they going to be more advanced with training and competition at later stages of training and competition? I would tend to believe that this will give those athletes that had organized training at ages 6-9 would have an advantage at that time. But as they mature into their later stage athletic bodies will they maintain those results from the early stages of training? Or by performing these specific athletic activities (ie.. speed training) that is providing an accumulative effect that will make them complete athletes when hitting the elite levels of competition?
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